


some of us have vices

by Anonymous



Category: Julius Caesar - Shakespeare
Genre: (at least that’s what i’m telling myself), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Late Night Conversations, Smoking, this is basically just original fiction with some names stolen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:55:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23940421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Scene: A balcony, outside a party. Night.Enter Portia and Calpurnia.
Relationships: Calpurnia Pisonis/Porcia Catonis
Kudos: 2
Collections: Anonymous





	some of us have vices

**Author's Note:**

> for best results play some girl in red as you read. i hate that i wrote this.

Calpurnia slides open the patio door and steps onto the balcony. It’s cold, but not freezing, only the chill of a summer night. She rubs her ears to rid them of the ringing. Her shadow flickers, a void in the magenta-green-blue flashing colours behind her. It takes her eyes a moment to adjust from the retina-singeing inside to the near-pitch black outside, but once they do, she can see the black hoodie of her fellow party attendee who needs a break. 

Calpurnia leans her bare forearms against the icy metal railing. She sighs. 

“Is that you, Cal? Oh, it is, fucking course.” Portia pushes her hood off her head and drops her cigarette before stepping on it. 

“Portia?” Calpurnia coughs. 

“Sorry.” Portia waves away the lingering smoke. “I’d forgotten what you looked like.”

“It hasn’t been that long,” Calpurnia protests, checking her phone for the last text she sent Portia. It takes her a moment to find.

“Yeah, it has. Are you okay?” Portia’s face is full of genuine concern, but she avoids Calpurnia’s looks. 

“I’m okay, just busy! I’m helping Julius with his campaigns. I thought you were going to quit smoking,” Calpurnia dodges. 

“You’re too perfect to understand that some of us have vices, Cal,” Portia sighs, clicking her tongue and inhaling the too-crisp air. “You’re only here because he can’t come. Well, he  _ shouldn’t _ .”

Calpurnia wraps her arms around her ribs. Portia watches with half-closed eyes, rubbing her face into her sleeved palm and smearing her lipstick. 

“You’re so fucking perfect. You know that, right? So  _ fucking _ perfect.” Portia makes eye contact, those big, warm irises showing under her mask. “Your flaws are tiny and cute. I can’t even  _ see _ your pores.” Portia leans in to inspect her face, one hand draped over the railing. 

“I’m -” Calpurnia starts, but she can’t think of anything to say. 

Portia smells smokey and like salt, and  _ Lord, has she always looked this disheveled?  _ Calpurnia thinks, staring at those bags under her eyes and her lips, chapped under her black lipstick, and her two braids, full of flyaways and loose, the sheen over her forehead, the missing earring on the left side. 

Portia stares somewhere in the vicinity of Calpurnia’s ear when she kisses her, something that feels less like a kiss and more like the action of lips touching. She leans her head against Calpurnia’s shoulder for a moment before pulling away. 

“Cal - ”

“It doesn’t matter,” Calpurnia says, and it isn’t icy or cold but it isn’t warm, either. She rubs her lips with the back of her hand, pulling off that light coat of black that’s transferred. “I’m, ah, I’m leaving now, Portia, don’t - I - I,” Calpurnia trails off. 

“Your ride’s here.” Portia jerks her thumb back. 

Calpurnia rushes off to get her  _ idiot _ boyfriend out of the party. 

Portia picks at her fingernails until it’s time for her to go, too. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i know someone i know has found this. hi h i know you’re there and i hope you forget i told you this existed immediately


End file.
